Retrovirus Review

Retrovirus is a first the game certainly is in first person but you aren’t really a person. More like a computer program trying to stop a virus. The game’s art style and snazzy upgrade system are what attracted me to the game and made me want to continue to play.

Retrovirus takes place inside of a computer on a search and destroy mission to destroy a dangerous virus. The player takes control of an antivirus program armed to the teeth with weapons that are intended to delete said virus. Exploration is the name of the game and you must find the virus. That is no easy task and the virus moves, it corrupts anything in its path. You must clean up the inner workings of the computer to ultimately save the data from permanent deletion.

The gameplay plays a lot like a flight simulator in dogfight mode. You fly around shooting anything the virus has corrupted. You will also have to solve puzzles and find data on the origins of the virus. One of the best aspects about the game is the environments. It also, has its own flaws. While the environments are wonderfully designed, some enemies and items are hidden amongst the cables and wiring of the background. Luckily there is an area scan feature that reveals almost anything you can interact with. This includes enemies and certain items. The downside is that you are practically reliant on this feature.

The combat of Retrovirus is really good for this type of game. The movement is rather smooth and the shooting is rather precise. The variety of weapons increases as the game progresses and you will have to use their unique abilities to bypass obstacles and kill corrupted enemies. Every weapon has a primary fire and a secondary effect when you scan the target area. For instance, your standard machine guns will have explosive bullets when you scan the after they hit an enemy (or wall).

As you kill more enemies, corruption, and find data bits, you will upgrade. The variety of choices is pretty vast. I have seen other games with way less and promise more. Retrovirus’ upgrade system really makes you think and prepare for what you will face next. I like that. The game doesn’t play itself by choosing your upgrades. It lets you make your own mistakes so you can go through again later.

The game also has a variety of multiplayer modes to play but the real reason you have to get this game is the unique singleplayer. It is fun, has a cool story, and it looks pretty damn awesome. My only complaints are with the over-reliance on the area scan ability and the way most items/objectives blend in with the background. There is a large amount of replay value and this game is very much worth your time. You can pick it up on Steam now. I give Retrovirus a 9/10.